Mangaluru is one among the four cities including Mysuru, Dharwad and Kalaburagi where such stations will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore each.

It will be in addition to recently launched mobile smoke emission inspection unit to check the polluting vehicles by the board along with regional transport office (RTO).

The station with automated air quality recording system will be first-of-its-kind in the coastal city, after Bengaluru, where four such facilities have been already commissioned to keep a tab on increasing level of air pollution online. It is expected to be a reality in another three to four months as KSPCB regional office has already floated tenders for the purpose.

Four sites inspected

KSPCB Mangaluru regional office environment officer Rajashekhar B  Puranik told DH, “An expert committee, involving environment officers, senior scientific officers and others, recently visited the city and also inspected four sites - Town Hall precincts, Circuit House, Karnataka Polytechnic (KPT) premises and also Nehru Ground. But the place is yet to be finalised.”

He said the station, once commissioned, will be monitoring ambient air quality at a particular area with the help of sensors and will display RPM level, ozone, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons, Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and other contents in the air. With smoke from vehicles and also road dust being considered as major reasons for air pollution, the station wil be helpful in mitigating the impact by taking constructive measures in consultation with other departments.

Electronic screen

Apart from recording air quality, the readings will be displayed on electronic screen above the station to enable people get a glimpse of it.The data will be automatically shared with the regional office, as the station will be linked to the server in the main office.

Environment officer of Chamarajangar, Prakash, one of the members of expert committee, said, “According to the guidelines, the site devoid of trees and skyscrapers in the vicinity is best suited to set up the facility.”

Equipment

The equipment to monitor air quality will be installed at a height of minimum three metres to nine metres. The equipment includes respirable dust sampler or instruments, automatic meteorological parameter monitoring instrument capable of measuring wind speed, direction, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure and temperature, spectrophotometer, dessicator, spare air blowers etc, according to the guidelines for ambient air quality monitoring issued by the Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi.

Mangaluru safe for now

The results of ambient air analysis in Mangaluru for the year 2015-16 as recorded by Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) indicate that respirable particulate matter (RSPM) is within the national limit (60.0 ug/M3), followed by Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Karwar, Chitradurga, Bhadravathi, Ballari and Bidar. But RPM is on the higher side in Kolar, Tumakuru, Davangere, Dharwad, Hubballi, Belagavi, Kalaburagi and Raichur.